Forever and Always
by JNock1608
Summary: Kerri Fowler had been alone since the outbreak and accepted the fact that might never change. However, one day a man with a crossbow steps in, saving her life and in the process shows her that there are still good people in the world. Daryl/OC, rated M for lemons in later chapters, will loosely follow the plot of the show. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

It had been a long week for Kerri Fowler. It seemed like no matter which direction she went hordes of the dead blocked her way. The countryside had been relatively safe in the beginning, right after the outbreak, but now it was as if the walkers were leaving the larger cities in search of food. It had become so bad that at night she had taken to sleeping in trees and tying herself to large branches just to catch one or two hours of sleep.

She was exhausted, dehydrated, and completely overwhelmed by the stifling Georgian heat and humidity. At this particular moment she was wandering down a dirt road that was thankfully shaded by thick trees and brush on either side. Her current goal was to find water and refill each bottle she carried her pack. Sighing, Kerri paused for a moment, using the back of her hand to wipe her sweat-soaked hair off her forehead. She was tempted to sit on the side of the road and rest awhile but she quickly decided against that, knowing she should use whatever daylight was left to find water.

She moved forward, following the same dirt road and it rose ahead of her into a sloping hill. Climbing the hill was a struggle in her current state and by the time she reached the top she was bent over with her hands grasping her kneecaps as she huffed and puffed, trying to pull valuable oxygen into her lungs. When she finally caught her breath, she straightened up, using her hand to shield her eyes from the bright afternoon sunlight. And what she saw at the bottom of the hill instantly improved her mood a hundred percent.

There was a bridge! It was rickety and quite dilapidated, but a bridge none the less. And bridges meant water, something Kerri desperately needed. A smile crossed her face, something that hadn't happened in what felt like forever and she quickened her pace to a half-jog until she reached the bridge. Peering down, Kerri saw a small river flowing gently along. The water looked clean enough and the thirst that she had been pushing to the back of her mind flared up, prickling angrily in her throat.

Kerri turned and looked around, checking her entire surrounding ensuring that none of the dead had wandered too close while she had been distracted by the prospect of something to drink. Surprisingly, there wasn't a single rotting creature in sight and Kerri breathed a sigh of relief. She slowly lowered herself down the embankment, until she was standing right beside the water. Swinging her pack from her shoulder, she dug around until she found several empty plastic water bottles and the silver canteen she had swiped from a camping store. She squatted down and filled each of her containers before taking a swig of the chilly water.

Immediately, the stinging in her throat subsided and her body seemed to relax. However, the relief was short lived. Moans of the dead began in the brush behind her and several rotting corpses lumbered out, their skin hanging limply from their arms as they reached for Kerri. Her position crouched down by the river had put her at a disadvantage and in her rush to get to her feet, Kerri's boots slipped in the soft mud of the riverbank. She fell hard on her backside and looked up in terror as the first walker closed in.

Kerri fumbled around her waist, her fingers searching for the large hunting knife she knew was there, but by the time she grabbed it the large corpse had grabbed the toe of her boot and was pulling itself towards her.

Knife in hand, Kerri launched forward, avoiding the walker's open jaws and stabbing it in the skull. The body immediately went limp and she kicked it away from her vigorously as she heard more groaning coming from the other three walkers. Kerri leapt to her feet; she slid in the mud slightly, but managed to remain upright this time and clutched her knife in front of her body.

These walkers were large and Kerri knew she was in a poor spot to kill them all using only her knife. She had her pistol tucked in the back of jeans, but thought twice about using it, knowing that the gunfire would only bring out more of the dead. She darted forward to the walker on her left, stabbing it through the skull. Yanking her knife free she turned to stab the next walker, only to notice that four more corpse had stumbled from the tree line.

Dread filled Kerri's chest, there was no way she could fight six more of them hand to hand. She would have to use her pistol and make a run for it before any more walkers came her way. The smell of rot filled her nose as she backpedaled from the dead. Two of the corpses closed in on her and she raised her knife, stabbing the first in the eye. The second, however, was too quick, and it stumbled forward pushing Kerri to the ground with the entire weight of its body.

The force of them hitting the ground knocked Kerri's knife from her hand and she let out a scream she had been holding in as she struggled to avoid the walker's gaping mouth and long, dirty fingernails. It was in that moment that Kerri accepted her fate. She knew that even if she managed to free herself from this walker's body that there were four more right behind in that were all ready to take a bite out of her. Even though she knew death was probably seconds away, she continued to struggle. Her hands were weakly pushing the dead man's chest and torso.

And just as the walker forced itself down, mouth wide and ready to end her life, Kerri heard a whizzing noise and felt decaying, brown blood splash across her face. The whizzing noise happened four more times and Kerri heard the sounds of bodies hitting the ground. She struggled to lift the heavy body off of herself and when she finally did she sat up, her eyes searching for what had killed the walkers.

It was arrows, there was one stuck in each corpse's forehead. And the man who had shot those arrows was standing several feet away. He was tall and wearing a sleeveless vest, shaggy brown hair hanging in his face. He stared at Kerri for a moment before stepping forward to retrieve his arrows from the walkers closest to him.

"Thank you," Kerri said, still in total disbelief that she had survived. The man's eyes snapped up, their bright blue color standing out against the dirt coating his cheeks and forehead.

"Welcome," he grunted in response, ducking his head back down, pulling another arrow free.

Kerri stood up and grabbed her hunting knife, placing it back in its sheath before reaching around and making sure her pistol was still in place.

"I'm Kerrigan Fowler," she began, taking a tentative step forward and extending her hand for him to shake.

The man just looked at her hand before grabbing his last arrow, "What 'cha doing out here by ya'self?" he asked gruffly in his thick southern accent, straightening up and looking at her.

Kerri let her hand drop awkwardly by her side, "I've been alone since the beginning," she said, "The rest of my family was on vacation in Florida when everything happened and most people I run into these days aren't friendly so I keep to myself."

"I don't think tha's working out for ya," he responded, glancing down at the bodies littering the riverbank.

Kerri scoffed, "Thanks for the advice, but I don't really have that much of a fucking choice these days," she was irritated that he felt the need to critique her.

"How many walkers you killed?" he asked suddenly, his tone changing and his voice more clear.

"I don't know. I haven't really been keeping track, but if I had to guess I'd say at least two dozen, probably more," Kerri was confused by his random question, but tried to answer honestly.

"How many people ya kill?" he asked, still making eye contact, his clear blue eyes piercing into her hazel ones.

"Just two," she replied softly, breaking the eye contact and glancing down at her boots.

"Why?"

"Because they tried to kill me," she answered simply, looking back up at his face. The man seemed satisfied by her answers and shouldered his crossbow.

"M'name's Daryl," he said, "I got a camp a few miles north of 'ere in an abandoned prison. We got people, food, an' shelter."

Kerri's interest was piqued by his statement. For the longest time she had thought that all the things he mentioned were unattainable in an apocalypse and he claimed to have within a short distance. It all seemed too good to be true and Kerri's mind flashed to her previous experiences with other people in this world. None of them were good or fond memories.

"How do I know I can trust you?" she questioned, narrowing her eyebrows and folding her arms.

"Nothin' I can say is gonna make ya trust me, but I'm tellin' ya, it's better than the life ya got going for ya now," he said, once again looking at the bodies lying among the leaves.

"Alright," Kerri responded, unsure of why she believed she could trust him. She walked back to the riverside and grabbed her belonging, slinging her pack over her shoulder. When she turned, Daryl seemed surprised that she had been so accepting, but he didn't question it.

"If we leave now, we should be back 'fore dark," Daryl grunted, turning in the direction of the prison. He silently took the lead, weaving through the thick brush and trees. From time to time he would glance behind him to make sure that Kerri was still there.

Right around the time the sun was setting Daryl pushed his way through some especially thick bushes and saplings. As he did this, Kerri looked over his shoulder, gasping quietly when she finally saw the large chain link fences and the dark prison looming in the distance.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own any of the characters from The Walking Dead, no matter how much I wish I did :( Kerri, on the other hand, is all me!**

The gates swung open for them as they approached the prison entrance. Kerri noticed a dark skinned woman with dreads and a sword on her back nod in Daryl's direction as they walked through. When they passed, the woman closed the gates and turned back in the direction of the fences, presumably taking watch for the night. Outside of the prison surprised Kerri, she hadn't expected to see people walking around so normally and carrying on a conversation like the world wasn't falling apart right outside the fences. They were growing crops and had fenced in areas with livestock. There were picnic tables and an outside kitchen, Kerri even saw drawings on the cement in chalk done by children.

"I'm gonna introduce ya to the council, then we can getcha settled in for the night," Daryl told her and he opened the door to the prison. Kerri just nodded and continued to follow him down the halls.

Meeting the council was nerve-wracking. Kerri hadn't felt that much anxiety around so few people since she had interviewed for her job back before the world fell apart. She was quickly introduced to Hershel, Carol, Sasha, Glenn, and Rick. They all seemed nice enough and none of them were rude in their questioning about her life and what she had been doing since the outbreak. They also told her that the following morning she would be assigned a job to pull her weight in the prison.

Overall, the process went by quickly and before she knew it, Daryl was leading her out of the room while the council wished her well and said goodnight.

He led her through the prison before entering one of the cell blocks. Most of the cells had clearly been turned into rooms, the doorways being covered with sheets and voices drifting from them out into the hall. Daryl stopped suddenly in front of an empty cell rather close to the end of the row.

"This'll be your room," he said, gesturing to the cell, "Not many people live down this row, I figured ya might like the quiet till ya get used to people again," he continued.

Kerri smiled at him, surprised at his thoughtfulness considering they had only just met, "Thanks Daryl, for everything today."

"Ain't nothin'…" Daryl muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed by her words of thanks.

Kerri simply smiled again, not wanting him to be any more uncomfortable than he already was. She stepped into the cell, slipping her pack off her shoulder, before turning around.

"Goodnight, Daryl," she said, waving. He didn't respond this time, he just waved back as she watched him turn and walk down to the end of the row where she guessed his own room was.

Inside her new room was bare; there were bunk beds with no sheets on them, a toilet, and a sink. But despite the blandness of her new surroundings, Kerri couldn't be happier. For the first time since the outbreak had started she actually felt safe. She was surrounded by walls and people who seemed have figured out a way to carry on despite everything going all to hell.

She took off her pack and sank down onto the bottom bunk, thankful for even the thin mattress because it already felt so much better than sleeping on the rocky ground outside. Opening her bag she took out her water along with the few canned goods she had. Opening a can of peaches, she began to eat, not realizing how hungry she actually was until the food hit her stomach. She finished it in minutes, sitting the empty container on the floor and sipping from her water bottle.

With a full stomach and her thirst in check, Kerri's exhaustion hit her like a ton of bricks. She curled up on the mattress, not caring that she didn't have any linen to cover it with and was unconscious moments later.

Kerri didn't wake up until late the next morning. Her time alone outside had taken more of a toll on her body than she had even realized. She stood in her cell, stretching muscles and rolling her shoulders, trying to shake the sleep that still lingered there.

Outside her cell, Kerri could hear the noise of people talking and moving throughout the cell block. The thought of moving outside her room and into an area where she would be expected to be social made her stomach churn.

She hadn't always felt that way about social interaction, but spending so much time alone for so long with only nature and the walkers as company could easily turn even the most socially outgoing person into a recluse.

Kerri also realized she would probably look frightening to anyone who saw her. She hadn't missed the stares she had gotten walking in the prison courtyard with Daryl the previous evening. Her clothes were the only ones she had left; scavenging those types of things wasn't really important when food and water were scarce.

Holes littered her jeans and her once white t-shirt had turned gray a long time ago from a mixture of sweat, dirt, and walker blood. Even her skin looked a dingy off-white, something she attributed not only to her lack of bathing but poor nutrition and lack of sleep.

Kerri moved towards the sink, wondering if this place was lucky enough to have running water. She turned the knob and almost jumped in surprise when water came spurting out, clear and clean. She smiled to herself and wished she had some soap her scrub with looking in disgust at her hands that were covered in dirt and old, dried blood.

A noise from outside her cell caught her attention. Even being in safer conditions couldn't reverse Kerri's vigilant senses that she had developed in her time alone. It was someone clearing their throat, trying to get her attention without startling her.

Kerri turned to the open doorway and noticed a woman standing there. She had short gray hair and a nice smile. But even through her smile, Kerri could tell by her eyes that she had suffered.

"Hello," the woman began, "I'm Carol."

"Hi, I'm Kerrigan, but everybody just calls me Kerri," she replied, turning the faucet to stop the water.

"Nice to meet you, Kerri," Carol responded, "Rick sent me to check on you and see how you were adjusting. He wants me to show you around the prison too."

"Everything here seems amazing so far, I can't believe you have running water," Kerri answered, turning her head back to the sink.

"If you can't believe we have running water in the sinks, wait until you see the showers," Carol said with a grin.

Kerri's head shot up, her eyes meeting Carol's, "Showers…" she whispered. She hadn't had a shower since she had stayed in the housing development with solar power and well water and that had been close to the beginning.

"Yes, showers. We also have a storage room with clothes; there should be something in there that's about your size."

"That would be fantastic, thank you," Kerri murmured, still in complete awe that this place was functioning so well despite the current state of events.

"Why don't you come with me? I'll take you by the storage room for something to wear and then I'll show you where the showers are. Then you can meet everyone and I'll take you on a tour," Carol offered.

"Okay."

About an hour later, Kerri was dressing in one of the two outfits Carol had given her. She honestly hadn't wanted to leave the shower and would've been perfectly content to stand under the icy water all day, but she knew needed to start trying to fit in sooner rather than later.

Kerri chose to wear dark-wash jeans with a heather gray t-shirt, something practical and comfortable. She kept her own leather boots and tucked her pants into them. She also made sure she had her knife, tucking it into her boot in attempt to be discrete, rather than wearing it on her hip like she normally would. Her light blonde hair was pulled up into a bun and out of her face. When she was done she called Carol's name and followed the woman away from the showers.

Back in the cell block Kerri felt her anxiety bubble back up in her stomach. People were sitting at tables talking, but stopped the minute they noticed her walking behind Carol. They stared shamelessly until Carol shot them a death glare.

Carol pointed to an empty table and told her to sit while she made her a plate. The older woman came back with a dish completely filled. Kerri's mouth started watering the minute she saw it. She hadn't eaten that much food in one sitting in what felt like forever. There was macaroni and cheese, corn, baked beans, and what looked like a piece of rabbit that had been cooked on the outside grill.

Kerri ate slowly, even though her brain kept telling her to shovel the meal in faster. She knew eating too fast would make her sick after running on empty for such a long time. Carol sat beside her, eating her own lunch, occasionally stopping to ask questions about Kerri's journey on her own.

Kerri answered politely, but kept her answers short. She didn't like reliving her past, it was too painful and some of things she had seen or done during her time alone haunted her. Carol, thankfully, took the hint and moved her conversation to life at the prison. She filled Kerri in on the group and their own struggles.

Kerri soon learned that quite a few of them had been together since the beginning. She listened to Carol amazed that so many of them had survived such difficult events from escaping the CDC to leaving Hershel's farm and their most recent issue with some man called the Governor.

The gray-haired woman definitely didn't sugarcoat anything either. She mentioned her own daughter's death, explaining the pain Kerri had noticed in her eyes. And Sophia hadn't been the only one lost, Kerri listened to Carol describe her friends that were gone and how they had died.

The one that really struck a chord was Lori. When Carol mentioned Rick's wife dying in childbirth, Kerri couldn't help but shudder. She felt a pang of sympathy knowing Rick had a young son and now had to raise a baby too.

"I know these stories aren't exactly the most happy," Carol acknowledged, "But I wanted you to know what we've been through. It's easier for me to tell you than for you to ask questions that could bring up painful memories."

Kerri nodded, scraping the last of her macaroni and cheese onto her fork. As she ate that last bite, something caught her eye. Daryl was walking through the cell block with his crossbow slung over his shoulder. She noticed his eyes sweep the room before stopping right where she was sitting. He didn't speak or wave; he simply nodded his head before turning in the direction of his own cell.

Before Kerri had time to respond to his gesture she heard Carol in the background.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Kerri asked, pulling her eyes away from the direction Daryl had gone.

"Rick told me to let you know that Daryl mentioned to the council last night that he thought you would be helpful on supply runs," Carol repeated.

Kerri was surprised. Daryl didn't seem to really interact with anyone if his body language from the previous evening was his normal way of acting.

"He said that he was impressed by the way you handled yourself in the woods when he found you," Carol continued, picking up the dirty dishes from the table.

"Really?"

"Yes, that's what Rick told me he said," Carol answered, "You must really have picked up some great survival skills out there, it takes a lot to impress Daryl Dixon."

Kerri felt heat rising into her cheeks; she never had been one to accept compliments without feeling embarrassed about it.

"Rick also wanted me to pass on that they're planning a run a few days from now and he wants you to be there for their meetings," Carol explained.

"When are they meeting?" Kerri questioned, sipping from her water bottle.

"In a half hour, it's the same place that you had your meeting last night."

"Alright," Kerri said, "Thank you for everything Carol, it really means a lot." The older woman smiled and waved it off before turning and continuing to wash their lunch dishes.

Kerri decided to head back to her cell and take a moment away from the crowded atmosphere of the cell block before her meeting. Back in her room she decided to unpack her things and make the environment a bit more comfortable. She didn't really have much with her other than a few canned goods that she planned to take to Carol, her canteen and water bottles, and a small threadbare blanket.

After organizing her few items, Kerri decided to start making her way to the meeting. She felt nervous; she knew supply runs were a dangerous but vital role of maintaining the prison. She didn't want to embarrass herself or put someone else in danger. Having never worked in a team for survival before, her mind raced about all the things that she could do wrong.

Kerri paused at the closed door; she took a deep breath, trying to dislodge the heavy feeling of nerves that had placed itself in her chest and stomach. She hated feeling this way. Being in a safe place with people was something that she had dreamt about during her short hours of sleep for the past year, but now that she had it her brain was betraying her with feelings of inadequacy and unease.

She shook her head trying to manually rid her mind of the dark feelings it was dragging towards the surface. Sighing, she placed her hand on the doorknob and gave herself thirty seconds to calm down. When her time was up, she squared her shoulder and straightened her back before turning the knob and walking into her new role in her new life.

A/N: Hi everyone! I didn't get a chance to write an author's note for my first chapter because I was trying to figure out how to post my story since this is my first fanfic. But now I've figured it all out so I would just like to say thanks to those who have reviewed, followed, or favorited my story, it's much appreciated :) Just a heads up, I know this chapter only has a little Daryl/Kerri interaction, but I promise there is much more to come. And for all you Carol fans, don't worry, this isn't going to be a Carol-bashing story. She's one of my favorite characters and she's going to be supportive/helpful to Daryl/Kerri's growing relationship!


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own anything from The Walking Dead, even if I really wish I did! Kerri is all mine though! Enjoy :)**

Inside the library Kerri saw Daryl seated at one of the tables speaking with the same dark skinned woman with dreads who had opened the gates for them yesterday. The pair was looking over several maps that they had spread out over the surface. The door closed behind Kerri with a loud thump causing the pair to look up. The woman smiled and Daryl simply met her eyes with the same stare he had given her while she was eating lunch.

"I'm Michonne," the woman said, extending her hand as Kerri approached the table. She shook the other woman's hand and took a seat at the table.

"We're just waitin' on Sasha an' Bob, then we can start the meetin'," Daryl mumbled, he had put his head down after looking at Kerri.

Within the next five minutes Kerri met the two others and the small group began their meeting.

"So for this run we're going to have to travel farther than we have in the past," Michonne began, "The only store we haven't touched in the area is the local Big Spot, but it's overrun with walkers from the refugee camp they had there in the beginning and we haven't figured out a safe plan for that yet. With all the traffic pile ups blocking the roads it's probably going to take us two days."

"We're gonna go to some outlets about thirty miles from 'ere," Daryl said, pointing to a circle on the map he had drawn in black permanent marker.

"It's got lots of stores, I found a brochure for it 'bout a month ago in a gas station," he continued.

"Like what kind of stores?" Sasha asked.

"Grocery store, pharmacy, places with clothes, and a couple restaurants," Daryl answered, thumbing through the brochure, "I figured Bob could go with ya an' Michonne to the pharmacy since he knows what to look for," he told Sasha.

Sasha nodded, taking the brochure from Daryl and looking over the list of stores.

"What about me?" Kerri questioned, speaking for the first time since the introductions at the beginning of the meeting.

"Figured me and you could check the restaurants and grocery store for food first, then meet back at the car with everyone an' check the rest together," Daryl said.

"Okay," Kerri responded. She felt her stomach twist with nerves at the thought of being alone with Daryl on the run. Normally she would never question her survival skills, but she had seen Daryl in action on their way back from the prison, his skills were outstanding and honestly made her feel inferior. She didn't want to embarrass herself or endanger anyone by making any mistakes.

"Now that we got a plan, we can leave tomorrow morning at dawn," Daryl concluded, standing up from his spot at the table. Kerri stood too, saying goodbye to Sasha, Bob, and Michonne before leaving the room.

Kerri didn't sleep well at all. She tossed and turned on her thin mattress almost all night before giving up all hope on any decent rest. She got up in the wee hours of the morning, pulling on her jeans and boots along with the second t-shirt that Carol had given her the previous day. To kill time, she sharpened her hunting knife and cleaned her pistol, paranoia pushing her to have all her weapons in near-perfect condition.

Even after Kerri finished, she still had a while until the group was due to meet outside. She decided to wander down to the cell block and hopefully find something to fill her growling stomach.

Downstairs was deserted and dark, everyone else was still sleeping and Kerri relished in the quiet. She lit one of the oil lamps sitting on a table closest to the food and began looking for anything to eat. On one of the shelves she found a pack of instant coffee and nearly jumped for joy. Kerri hadn't had coffee in what felt like forever and it had once been something she thought it would be impossible to live without.

While she waited for the water to boil for the coffee, she turned back to the shelves and rummaged around until she found a box of granola bars. Pulling one from the package she sat down and began to eat until the water was ready.

Once her coffee was finished, Kerri poured it into a chipped mug that she found in one of the cabinets. She drank it quickly, not minding the bitter taste or the fact that it was burning the tip of her tongue. Around the time she finished her coffee, she heard movement coming from the stairs. It was Daryl with an empty duffel bag in one hand and his crossbow in the other.

He walked up to the table beside her, placing his items on it and going for the coffee Kerri had made.

"Mornin'," he said gruffly, with his back turned to her pouring the hot liquid into a mug. He turned to face her, drinking his coffee quickly.

"Ya seen anyone else down here this mornin'?" he asked, looking around the cell block. Kerri shook her head, heading back for a second cup of coffee.

Daryl scowled at her answer, "Damn, we need to get outta here soon. I was tryin' to be back by tomorrow afternoon. If they don't hurry the hell up we're gonna be stuck out there too long."

They only had to wait for the rest of the group for a few more minutes. When everyone had gathered in the cell block they packed two bags of food and water bottles to hold them over and moved to the cars waiting in the yard.

Daryl and Kerri were to ride in a black SUV while Michonne, Sasha, and Bob were going in a maroon mini-van. Both vehicles had seats that could be folded down to make maximum room for their supplies.

The ride to the outlets was long and filled with an awkward silence. Daryl didn't speak as he maneuvered the large vehicle around bodies and abandoned cars. Several times he reached an area that was impassable and their group would have to backtrack. Kerri wanted to talk about anything to end the silence, but it seemed like the words always died in her throat.

When they finally reached a clear stretch of road, Kerri finally forced the words out, "So how long have you been with the group?" She honestly already knew the answer to this question from her conversations with Carol, but she couldn't think of anything better to say.

"Since the beginnin'," he answered, his eyes never leaving the road. She noticed his right hand grip the top of the steering wheel a little tighter.

Silence followed for quite a while after his answer. Kerri was nervous to speak again, she could tell he wasn't exactly the type of person to jump into a conversation, let alone with someone he barely knew.

"Ya said that ya were on your own since it started," Daryl began, turning his head to face Kerri, "Ya really didn't have anyone this whole time?"

She was taken aback by his sudden interest in talking when they'd been riding in such uncomfortable silence for nearly thirty minutes, but she did her best not to let her face show it.

"I met up with a few groups here and there, but nothing was ever permanent. We would get separated or they'd get bit. Most of the time they already knew each other, so I was just an outsider that they let tag along, so when things got bad they would leave me behind," Kerri responded, thinking back to everyone she'd met since the world went to shit.

"That's fucked up," Daryl said, his eyes still on the road.

"Yeah, lots of people show just how fucked up they are when things go bad," Kerri continued, "That's why I had a hard time believing you when you told me about the prison."

"Most of the people I bring back feel the same way," he explained, "But most of em don't handle walkers the way ya do."

Kerri looked confused, not bothering to try and mask her expression. The only time Daryl had seen her take on walkers she had been doing a pretty shitty job and almost got herself killed.

"What do you mean?" she asked, "When you saw me I was almost walker bait."

"Yeah, ya were. But that was just tha' one day," he said. Kerri looked even more confused now, her eyebrows furrowed together.

Daryl almost smiled at the look on her face, but managed to hide it by rubbing his chin before explaining.

"I had been huntin' for almost two days before I helped ya," he began, "I was stickin' to the woods, tryin' to avoid most of the walkers and I seen ya a couple times walkin' down that dirt road ya were followin'. I seen ya kill groups as big as ten of em an' make it look easy."

"Why didn't you come out sooner?" Kerri asked, amazed that she hadn't seen or heard him in all that time.

"I didn't know if ya had a group waitin' on ya. Like ya said, it's hard to trust people these days. I only stopped when I knew ya were in trouble that ya couldn't get outta ya self."

"So that's why you told Rick you wanted me on the run?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I knew ya would be able to kick ass and hold ya own with the rest of us," he said, steering the car around several walkers that stretched their arms towards the moving vehicle.

Kerri could help the feeling of pride that welled up in her chest at his words and a small smiled crossed her lips.

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews, it really means a lot to me :) I have outlines for the next couples of chapters ready so all I've got to do is bring it to life, hopefully I won't be plagued by any writer's block *fingers crossed* Oh, and what did you guys think of the mid-season finale?! February seems a long time away :(**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I am so, so, so sorry that it's been so long. I always told myself that I wouldn't go without posting for months on end but sometimes life happens and nursing school has really been kicking my ass! But I think I'm past my writer's block and I have a good idea of where I want this story to go, so please stick with me! Thanks for all your patience :)**

 **\- JN**

Chapter Four

About an hour and a half later the outlets Daryl had described came into view. From what Kerri could see there was a Wal-Mart, several chain restaurants, a CVS, and plenty of clothing stores. The parking lots had a handful of walkers ambling around who turned when they heard the two vehicles approaching.

It only took the group a few minutes to clear the lot they were in and then Daryl deemed things safe enough for them to split up.

"Me and Kerri are gonna head to Wal-Mart first while y'all clear the pharmacy," he directed, adjusting his crossbow on his shoulder.

"Alright," Michonne replied, "Yell if you guys need help."

Daryl simply nodded before turning in the direction of the store. Kerri hurried to catch up before falling into step beside him.

"We gotta keep this quick," he began, never taking his eyes off the boarded up doors of the store, "We're gonna grab food first then if it's safe we can head back for more."

"Okay," Kerri answered, pulling her pistol from the waistband of her jeans.

Once they were inside the building Daryl hit the handle of his knife against an empty shopping cart a few times hoping to draw out any walkers hiding in the many aisles of the store. Two of the undead lumbered out, groaning louder once they realized there were potential meals at the front of the shop. Daryl took them out quickly with his crossbow and frisked them for any weapons when he went to retrieve his arrows. He pocketed a small handgun and then nodded at Kerri to follow him.

Kerri had to admit that it felt strange pushing around shopping carts in an abandoned Wal-Mart. Walking through the aisles of a grocery store was such a normal thing before the apocalypse, something that most people grumbled about doing, but now this store could mean a great deal about how well the people of the prison survived over the next few months.

The pair moved down rows quickly grabbing anything they might find useful. The store still had a surprisingly good amount of canned food which they piled into the cart. Boxes of pasta went in next and so did random condiments that Daryl said might make some of their blander meals for bearable, especially come winter when fresh meat was harder to come by.

Soon the cart was full and the duo moved to the front of the store.

"Seems okay in here," Daryl commented, "Might as well take 'nother cart around and see what else we can get."

"Alright," Kerri answered, pulling a second cart out.

Their next go around the store went just as smoothly as the first, Daryl even consented to moving away from the food and said they could grab some of the toiletries and clothes too.

After they had filled the second cart they decided to take their haul out to the vehicles and check on the others. They found Michonne, Sasha, and Bob loading up their mini-van with several shopping baskets full of prescription bottles as well as miscellaneous gauze, band-aids, and ointments.

"Find anything good," Sasha asked, turning away from the van.

"Hell yeah," Daryl said, pushing his shopping cart towards the SUV, "They ain't touched nothing in there really."

"Maybe we could all go back in together and get a few more carts full?" Michonne suggested, closing the door to vehicle.

Daryl nodded and after the SUV was loaded with their first round of groceries, the group headed back inside Wal-Mart.

Almost two hours later they had filled six shopping carts with everything from baby clothes and formula for Judith, office supplies to use in their little "school," and a few pieces of furniture to make the prison more like a home plus plenty of toiletries and extra food. When they unloaded everything the mini-van was just about full, even with the back rows of seats folded down.

"We can fit plenty more in tha' SUV," Daryl said as he took a swig from one of the water bottles.

"Those restaurants are probably our best bet," Michonne responded before putting a spoonful of applesauce in her mouth.

Daryl nodded in agreement, "Well let's hurry up, we only gotta few more hours of daylight left."

They moved through an Applebee's that still had a few walker patrons inside, a Ruby Tuesday's that was totally deserted, and a Cracker Barrel with a handful of undead inside. The haul from them was good, but not nearly as plentiful as the Wal-Mart had been. And by the end of it everyone was exhausted.

Daryl and Kerri stood by the SUV sipping water when Daryl pointed to a store across the parking lot.

"What's that?" he asked Kerri, shielding his eyes from the sun.

Kerri looked up, blinking against the brightness in her face. "That's Home Goods; they have stuff to decorate houses inside, furniture too."

"Why don't 'cha head over a find somethin' to make ya cell a little nicer?" he questioned, "It's bad 'nough we gotta live in cages, ya might as well make the best of it."

Kerri was caught off guard by his kindness, she hadn't even thought of picking up anything for herself on this run. She was worried that with her being new to the group that picking items like bed sheets and pillows might make her seem selfish when there were much more important items to fill the vehicles with.

"Uh…I don't want to take up too much room," Kerri answered, trying not to seem rude.

"It ain't no big deal," Daryl said, rubbing the back of his neck, "We still got a lil' room for some stuff."

Kerri could tell that he was second guessing his decision to ask about her decorating her cell.

"Well, I mean, if you're sure it's not gonna take up too much room I guess I could use some blankets at least. Those mattresses are thin as hell."

Daryl gave a little half smile at her comment on the beds at the prison and the pair walked into Home Goods together, ready to clear any walkers and to hopefully get Kerri something to make her jail cell a little more homey.

Kerri wasn't picky about her choices for her cell; she grabbed the first twin sized pack of sheets she saw along with a blanket and two pillows. However, on her way towards the door she stopped to look at a small porcelain elephant. Elephants had always been her favorite animals; in fact riding an elephant had been one of the items on her bucket list before the world fell apart.

Daryl saw her eyeing up the little decoration and walked around her, grabbing it off the shelf. Kerri lifted her eyes up to him and gave him a questioning glance.

"I'll carry it for ya, so ya don't break it on the way to tha' car," was all he said before turning and striding towards the exit.


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own any characters from The Walking Dead (even if I really wish I did). Kerri's all mine though!**

Chapter Five

Once they were back outside and had loaded Kerri's new stuff into the back of the SUV Daryl realized that Michonne, Bob, and Sasha were nowhere to be found.

"Dammit," Daryl grumbled, slamming the door of the vehicle shut, "It's gonna be dark soon and we need ta find someplace to hole up fer the night."

"Maybe they went back to…" Kerri's statement was interrupted by a woman screaming, a woman that sounded a hell of a lot like Sasha.

"Fuck," Daryl shouted, pulling his crossbow off of his shoulder and moving in the direction of the screams. Kerri took off running after him, gripping her knife in her hand so tightly her knuckles turned white.

The moaning of walkers could be heard as the pair got closer to a liquor store that was tucked away in a corner away from the rest of the shops. The area in front of building was crawling with a dozen or so walkers and it looked like more were filing out from the doorway.

Kerri saw Michonne's dark hair and the glint of the late afternoon sunshine on the blade of her katana as she sliced through two walkers at once, swiftly removed their heads from their decaying bodies.

"Daryl!" she shouted, seeming relieved to see him, "Sasha and Bob are trapped inside!"

The trio quickly cleared all the walkers in the front of the building before moving inside. Bob was struggling to keep three walkers at bay while Sasha lay on the floor behind him grabbing her leg and groaning.

Daryl's arrow sliced through one of the walkers while Kerri grabbed the collar of another and drove her knife through its eye socket; this gave Bob a chance to finish off the walker that he had been going toe to toe with.

"What the fuck happened?" Daryl asked, once the room was cleared of the undead.

"We came to find some alcohol to celebrate a successful run and maybe see if the clerk kept any guns under the counter," Sasha said between gritted teeth.

Kerri kneeled down beside the woman and began to check over her leg.

"Are ya bit?" Daryl questioned next, try to mask the look of worry at Kerri being so close to Sasha when they weren't quite sure what was wrong with her.

"No, I just was trying to reach one of those bottles up top when the shelf I was standing on broke, I think I messed my knee up pretty bad," Sasha explained.

Kerri touched Sasha's knee gently before asking her to try and bend it as well as lifting her entire leg off the ground. Sasha hissed in pain as she bent her leg and extended it back out.

"I think you probably just sprained it, but it'll probably be best if we get you back so Hershel can take a look," Kerri announced, returning to her feet.

"How'd ya know to check her leg?" Daryl asked, looking at her curiously.

"I was nurse before this whole thing started, I worked on the maternity floor so legs and joints aren't really my thing, but I still remember most of that stuff from school," she explained.

"Ya were a nurse, how come ya never mentioned that before?" Daryl wondered out loud.

"Because I didn't want y'all to invite me to stay just because of who I used to be. The fact that I was a nurse before is why a lot of the groups I was with before took me in to begin with. They never really liked me; they just liked the skills that I had to offer," Kerri said, turning her eyes downward and pulling at a stray string that was hanging from her t-shirt.

Daryl didn't seem irritated by her withholding of information, if anything his eyes seemed to soften just the tiniest bit at her admission.

"Well Rick is probably gonna be pissed at me for havin' ya out here riskin' ya life when ya could've been helpin' Hershel with all that medical stuff."

"He'll get over it," Kerri responded, laughing a little, "C'mon Sasha, let's get you back to the cars so you can prop that leg up."

Michonne and Daryl both moved forward extending hands to help Sasha to her feet. They supported her weight on their shoulders and shuffled awkwardly towards the open door.

"Y'all coming?" Daryl asked, looking over his shoulder at Bob and Kerri, "We need ta start settin' up for tha night."

"Yeah, let me check under this counter real quick since Bob and Sasha didn't get a chance to," Kerri answered.

"I'll stay and watch her back," Bob added.

Daryl didn't respond, he just nodded his head and continued helping Sasha move out the door.

Kerri moved toward the counter, glancing around it to make sure no walkers were lurking out of sight that they may have missed. Once she was sure it was clear, she looped around and began digging in the shelves underneath.

There were black plastic bags, rolls of change, and even some mini bottles of liquor scattered throughout the shelves, but no gun. Disappointed, Kerri let out sigh before straightening back up and looking around the empty store for Bob.

She let her eyes scan the room, wondering where he had gone if he was supposed to be watching her back. She finally saw him, lingering by the back of the store hurriedly shoving two bottles of vodka into his bag.

No wanting to be caught staring, Kerri bent back down and pretended like she was still searching under the counter. She was confused as to why Bob was being so sneaky about taking the liquor. It wasn't like this group had a problem with drinking. Sasha had even said herself they came in for alcohol to celebrate having such a successful run.

Kerri quickly decided not to mention the situation to anyone; she was too new with this group to go around potentially starting drama with people she had only known for such a short period of time.

A few moments later she heard Bob's footsteps moving towards the front of the store, "Find anything good?" he asked.

Kerri stood up and shook her head, "Nope, just some junk. Nothing we can really use, unless you think we need a hundred black plastic bags?" she joked, holding them up.

"Nah," Bob answers, smiling at her joke, "C'mon let's head back before they start to get worried."

Kerri nodded and slipped out from behind the counter. The pair moved to the door quickly, ready to get back with the group and make camp for the night.

 **A/N: I can't believe I've gone this long without updating! I feel so bad. Work and nursing school really have been wearing me down! But I graduate at the end of August so hopefully that will give me some more free time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own any characters from The Walking Dead (Kerri is mine though!)**

Chapter Six

A month had passed since Kerri had joined life at the prison. She was now considered a full-fledged member of the group who even seemed to be well-liked and respected much to her surprise. She still went out on runs from time to time, but as Daryl had predicted, Rick much preferred her staying at the prison with Hershel to help with any medical issues that might come up. Although, after the incident during her last run she wondered if Rick would ever let her go out again.

They had been clearing a local gas station, a place the group had realized they had missed during their initial runs in the areas nearby the prison. It seemed like it was going to be easy enough. They had been so confident that only Daryl, Michonne, and Kerri had gone. But, as always, things hadn't gone nearly as smoothly as they had hoped.

The gas station at first glance had only three walkers inside, a decaying cashier and two customers. They were all taken out with ease allowing the group to search the isles for anything useful. Their group, however, had failed to notice the door towards the back of the building that led to a storeroom, assuming that it was just another door leading outside.

Shortly after they began searching and collecting things from the room, a loud creaking and moans of walkers began echoing around them. The group all stopped and looked at one another, but before they even had time to react, the door to the storeroom broke open from the immense weight of a dozen walkers who were excited at the prospect of a fresh meal.

The trio was immediately overwhelmed by the mountain of bodies. Michonne swung her katana, clearing a path to the front of the building. Kerri quickly found herself to be surrounded, swinging her hunting knife into the temple of the female walker closest to her. As the body fell, it was promptly replaced by another walker, arms outstretched.

Kerri began backpedal to give herself more room to take the walker down, but she stumbled over a fallen walker and twisted her ankle on the way down. White, hot pain throbbed through Kerri's ankle causing her to cry out in pain. The walker that she had been attempting to avoid was closing in and collapsed on top of her, its jaws gaping and gnashing as it attempted to reach the flesh of her face and neck.

Luckily, Daryl had seen her go down and heard her cry out in pain. He quickly shot an arrow into the skull of the walker that had Kerri pinned to the floor and then cleared another pair that had been closing in.

Michonne successful killed the last three walkers that had been stumbling in her direction while Daryl moved to help Kerri to her feet. All three seemed a little shaken by the ordeal, they took it as a lesson not to get too comfortable, no matter how straightforward a situation might seem.

Back at the prison, Hershel had diagnosed Kerri with a severely sprained ankle and promptly ordered her to rest. Which is what she had been doing for the past two weeks and was the only reason she wasn't going on the upcoming run to the local Big Spot.

Kerri would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed that she wasn't healed enough to go with them. She hated feeling cooped up inside the fences of the prison and she was nervous that she wasn't going to be able to see the run through, especially after she had helped brainstorm the idea of using the boom box to lure the walkers from the parking lot.

The group who was planning to go on this run included Daryl, Michonne, Tyreese, Glenn, Sasha, and Bob. Sasha had just recently been cleared for duty after taking a few weeks break for her sprained knee. Zach was younger guy, probably in his early twenties, who Daryl had just agreed could come on runs. He seemed eager to prove himself and maybe a little cocky, a trait that made Kerri nervous about his ability to be a team player in such a high-stakes environment.

The vehicles prepared to leave the prison fences early, Kerri hobbled out on her bad ankle to wish them well and to say goodbye. She saw Beth, Hershel's youngest daughter, talking to Zach before kissing him.

"It's like a damn romance novel," Daryl scoffed, watching Beth walk away. Kerri laughed at his gruff view of the young couple, not surprised that he didn't appreciate their public display of affection.

"Be careful y'all," Kerri said, watching them load the last of their gear into the vehicles, "I wish I could be going with you."

"Nah, ya need to stay here an' get tha' ankle straight 'fore ya worry 'bout any of tha'," Daryl answered, climbing onto to the back of his bike.

Kerri didn't respond, she just nodded her head, surprised that Daryl seemed concerned about her well-being. He didn't usually say things like that to anyone at all.

She didn't have much time to ponder his words before the sound of engines starting pulled her from her thoughts. She watched as Rick jogged forward to open the gates and waved as their little caravan pulled forward, leaving the security of the fences.

It was nearly dark when the group returned, the sound of Daryl's bike roaring up the road alerting everyone that they were back. Kerri was tempted to leave her cell to go say hello to everyone, but her ankle was throbbing particularly badly after moving around on it all day long. She decided it would probably be better for her to wait and just see them all at breakfast the next morning.

About thirty minutes after the group returned, Kerri heard Daryl's familiar footsteps moving down the hall. She was surprised, though, when they stopped in front of her cell instead of moving on down the row to his own room like they usually did.

Kerri looked up to the doorway noticing the shadowy outline of Daryl's body standing there behind the curtain. He seemed like he was hesitating, debating whether or not to come in and speak to her or to just keep moving.

"Daryl?" Kerri questioned her tone gentle as she sat up on the edge of her bed.

He slowly pulled back the curtain, peaking his head around, "I didn't wake ya up, did I?" he asked, keeping his eyes down.

"No," she answered, "I was just propping my ankle up; it's been killing me all night," she stretched her leg out to show the joint wrapped tightly with an athletic bandage, "You can come in and sit down if you want," she offered, gesturing to the old wooden chair she kept in the corner by the door.

Daryl stepped inside awkwardly and sat down, "The run went ta shit," he began, propping his elbows on his knees and placing his face in his hands.

"I figured something must've happened," Kerri responded, immediately thinking the worst and wondering if everyone made it back okay.

"How'd ya figure tha'?" he asked, looking up at her confused.

"You normally don't stop by and see me just to talk," Kerri replied, a grim smile on her face.

Daryl snorted, "I reckon you're right about tha'."

"What happened out there?" she inquired, growing more worried with each minute that passed.

"Whole thing jus' went ta shit," Daryl began, "First Bob got fuckin' trapped under a shelf in the beer an' wine isle. Don't know wha' the hell he was doin' down there. We were supposed ta just be in an out quick, not worry 'bout fucking drinks."

Kerri's stomach did flips at his mention of Bob sneaking off to get alcohol. She hoped her decision to keep quiet about Bob's potential alcoholism hadn't caused all this.

"Then, while we tried ta get the fuckin' shelf off Bob's leg, walkers started fallin' from the damn ceilin', shit jus' got worse from there," Daryl continued.

"Falling from the ceiling?" Kerri asked, confused as to how in the hell something like that even happened.

"Ya, from the fuckin' ceilin'. It was rainin' fuckin' walkers in the store. Some helicopter crashed on tha roof, must've happened not long afta' the turn. So tha weight of that an' the walkers too made the whole damn roof cave in."

"That's crazy as hell," Kerri muttered, "I never would've even thought about them falling from the ceiling."

"Well neither did we," Daryl said, "So we was all runnin' 'round like chickens with their damn heads cut off. Everybody had at least a few close calls, then Zach wen' back to try 'n get tha' shelf of Bob's leg again. We finally got 'em loose, but Zach got bit and then a whole mess a walkers got hold of 'em. Wasn't nothing we could do. Then tha' whole fuckin' roof caved in cause of tha' helicopter, we barely made it out," he finished.

"I'm so sorry Daryl," Kerri whispered. She knew how much he hated losing people; he had mentioned it on previous runs when he was giving directions. They hadn't lost anyone in the whole time that Kerri had been a part of the group, but it seemed like their streak of good luck was ending.

"The worst part was havin' ta tell Beth," Daryl sighed, pushing his hair back off of his forehead.

Kerri's stomach sank even more, she hadn't even thought of Beth. She knew from Carol's stories after she first arrived that Beth hadn't taken loss very well back when they had been at the farm.

"Is she okay?" Kerri asked, hoping that Beth wouldn't sink back into the depression Carol had mentioned.

"Ya, it was weird as hell. She ain't even cry when I told her. She told me tha' she don't cry anymore."

Kerri didn't respond, not crying or showing any emotion was almost as unhealthy as Beth's prior coping methods. But she didn't have much room to judge, she honestly couldn't remember the last time she had cried herself or allowed herself to grieve all that she lost. Maybe everyone's way of coping changed in the apocalypse and that was just part of their lives now.

 **A/N: 2 chapters posted back to back! Whoohoo! Hopefully I can keep the train rolling and get these chapters out to y'all. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own any characters from The Walking Dead :(**

Chapter 7

Kerri woke early the next morning; she hadn't really slept well anyway, between the occasional pain in her ankle and upset about how badly the run had gone she had tossed and turned most of the night. She decided to head downstairs for some coffee and breakfast before everyone else woke up for the day.

The entire cell block was quiet; the only other people downstairs were Rick and Judith. He gave her a quick nod before moving on to wake up Carl and passing Judith onto Beth for the day. That left Kerri alone, sipping on her coffee and eating her granola bar. She wondered what Hershel and Dr. S. had planned for her today.

Initially her shifts with them had included sorting through and organizing medical supplies that had been gathered on runs, but that was just about done. She really hoped they didn't stick her with training some of the others about basic first aid. Obviously it was vital to their group's survival, but Kerri never had felt comfortable teaching others, she just felt as though she lacked the patience required to be a good instructor.

Kerri's thoughts were interrupted by a steady trickle of people moving downstairs for their own breakfast. Most mumbled, "Good morning," before grabbing their own food and coffee, others just walked by still rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

The seemingly peaceful morning that Kerri was enjoying quickly ended when screams began echoing from the direction of D Block. Everyone looked up from their private conversations, terror evident on their faces.

Kerri quickly reached for her knife, pulling it from the sheath on her belt she had recently acquired on a run. Her pistol was back in her cell and she was cursing herself for not tucking in the waistband of her pants like she normally would. She made the split second decision to run back upstairs and grab it, unsure of the danger having the gun would definitely make her feel safer.

As she ran up the stairs two at a time, she passed Daryl who was sprinting full speed down the hall from the direction of his cell.

"Wha' the hell is goin' on down there?!" he hollered, slowing but not stopping.

"I don't know, all I hear is screaming, it sounds like it's coming from D Block. I'm going back for my gun."

"The hell you are! Ya still got a bad ankle," Daryl answered, stopping short and looking at her with his brows furrowed.

"My ankle is fine, just go! I'll meet you down there," Kerri retorted. Daryl looked like he wanted to argue but the continued screams from D Block urged him forward and down the stairs.

Once she had her pistol tucked safely in the waistband of her jeans and her hunting knife gripped in her fist, Kerri jogged out of C Block and towards the chaos of D Block. People were fleeing the area as she moved in. As she got closer amidst the screams and crying she heard the unmistakable sound of growling.

Kerri's blood ran cold. How did walkers manage to breech the safety of their own cell blocks? She couldn't stop to question how the situation came to be for long, as soon as she entered the cell block she was confronted by a large walker with hands outstretched. Despite recognizing the face as a fellow group member, Kerri's reflexes forced her knife up and into the temple of the walker, swiftly ending its assault.

She moved farther into the block, avoiding the people who were literally running for their lives. A few steps in front of her a young woman was on her back on the floor, struggling to push away a walker who was desperately gnawing and clawing, trying to reach her flesh. Kerri strode forward, grabbing the walker by its blood-stained collar, pulling it back and away from the woman's face and stabbing it through the skull. The woman leapt to her feet, still trembling with fear before running out of the cell block.

The assault probably only lasted about ten minutes, but those minutes felt like hours as she struggled to save people and watch her own back. Kerri watched Daryl too as he swept through the cell block, his crossbow saving several people from what would've been certain death otherwise.

By the time all the walkers had been taken down, the cell block was covered in bodies, blood, and various pieces of tissue. Kerri still couldn't believe that something this heinous had occurred in a place that had previously seemed so secure.

Hershel and Dr. S. came to the cell block once it had been deemed completely clear by Rick. Kerri followed them to one of the cells where they were assessing Charlie, one of the victims who had been locked in his cell and had no bites or scratches found on his body.

"Pleurisy aspiration," Dr. S. said, kneeling beside the body.

"Choked to death on his own blood. Caused those trails down his face," Hershel elaborated. Kerri shuddered at the thought, she didn't even want to imagine the fear that Charlie and Patrick had experienced in the minutes before their death.

"I've seen 'em before on a walker outside the fences," Rick admitted, turning to face everyone.

"I saw 'em on Patrick too," Daryl added.

"They're from the internal lung pressure building up, like if you shake a soda can and pop the top. Only imagine your eyes, ears, nose, and throat are the top," Dr. S. explained. Kerri could see the sense of worry in his eyes.

"It's a sickness from the walkers?" Bob asked.

"No, these things happened before they were around. Could be pneumococcal, most likely an aggressive flu strain," Dr. S. stated.

At the mention of the flu, Kerri's heart sunk. Even though the flu wasn't really such a big deal before the turn, she knew that now without proper medical technology it had every bit of potential to wipe out their entire group if they didn't get it under control quickly.

"Maybe we got lucky. Maybe these two cases are it," Dr. S. suggested, trying to give a little bit of hope in this grim conversation.

"Haven't seen anybody be lucky in a long time," Bob responded, his mouth set in a line thin and his tone grim, "Bugs like to run through close quarters. Doesn't get any closer than this."

"Well we've all been exposed," Kerri said, speaking up for the first time, "We're going to have to separate anyone who's been around the sick to keep it as confined as possible and then just hope for the best."

Rick nodded in agreement before standing to leave and find Carl.

"I'll call a meeting with the council," Hershel announced, "That way we can figure out the details and how we're goin' keep everyone separated."

As their little group dispersed Kerri couldn't help but notice the immense feeling of anxiety and dread that was beginning to fill her gut. Even though she had been a nurse on the maternity floor before the turn she still knew full well how terrible flu season could be. Her facility had even limited visitation during some of the more intense flu seasons in a desperate attempt to contain the sickness and even then it still found a way to run rampant. And none of those flu strains had even come close to the horror she had witnessed while assessing Charlie's dead body.

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for reading! I know I used some direction dialogue from Season 4 Ep.2 and I usually try not to do that but I felt like it was the best way to move the chapter forward. Please review and I'll try to have another chapter up by the end of next week, maybe sooner!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not any parts of The Walking Dead :(**

Chapter 8

It turned out that Bob had been right when he mentioned that nobody was every really lucky in this current world. The sickness spread quickly with Karen, Tyreese's girlfriend, and David becoming ill and showing symptoms within the same day as the attack on D Block. Both people were quarantined in A Block which the council had decided would become the designated sick bay.

Things went from bad to worse soon after. Kerri was working in the prison's tiny medical office a few days after the quarantine had been initiated. Rick walked through the door shortly after lunch time with a busted lip, bruised eye, and a bloody hand.

"Oh my gosh," Kerri said, jumping from her seat where she had been sorting through scavenged prescription bottles, "What the hell happened to you?!"

Rick didn't speak at first; he just grabbed an extra chair from a corner of the room and dragged it to the desk with his good hand.

While she waited for him to answer, Kerri began shuffling through the cabinets reaching for gauze, rubbing alcohol, and medical tape.

"Someone murdered Karen and David," Rick sighed, leaning back in his seat.

"What?!" Kerri gasped, almost dropping the roll of gauze in her hand.

"Someone killed them in their bed then dragged 'em outside and 'em on fire," he continued.

Rick sighed again. He looked defeated and Kerri instantly felt sorry for him. She couldn't imagine carrying the amount of stress he had on his shoulders each day. She also felt sick to her stomach at the thought of one of their own murdering two other group members so callously.

"That still doesn't explain how you ended up like this," Kerri prompted, opening all her supplies and laying them on the desk.

"Tyreese is a wreck about the whole thing," Rick continued, "He got violent when I tried to calm him down so I hit 'em back."

He looked so distraught and lost in that moment, Kerri didn't think she had ever seen him that way.

"People act all different types of ways when their grieving," Kerri offered, taking his injured hand in her own so she could begin cleaning his wounds.

Rick didn't respond to her statement, he just continued to look off into space with glassy eyes.

"Looks like this is just a sprain," Kerri began after cleaning Rick's bloody knuckles, "You'll be probably be out of commission with this wrist for about a week. But the good news is that none of these cuts are goin' to need any stitches."

Rick still didn't answer so Kerri stopped her attempts to start a conversation. She had only known the man a month and rarely interacted with him so she figured she better not push it. She finished wrapping his wrist for support in a thick, awkward silence.

The next morning Kerri stood in her cell, braiding her blonde hair behind her head. She was just about finished when she heard footsteps stop in her doorway.

"Kerri, ya awake?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah, you can come on in if you want," she answered, tying of the end of her braid with a hair-tie.

"Just got done with a council meetin', things around here ain't lookin' good. Sasha got sick yesterday afternoon and Dr. S. is comin' down with it too plus everybody tha' was in cell block D. Shit's spreadin' like wildfire," Daryl explained.

Kerri sighed, "I knew that was probably goin' happen. I was really hoping that it wouldn't though."

Daryl nodded, "Hershel says we're gonna need meds to treat the symptoms so we don't lose more people, antibiotics and stuff like tha'. He said there's a vet college 'round that might have the stuff and it's probably not been cleaned out like most of tha' places 'round here."

"He's got a point. Most drugs they use for animals are pretty close to the same stuff we use for people." Kerri said, agreeing with Hershel's plan.

"Only thing is tha' it's fifty miles from here, gonna be a long trip…an' with Sasha bein' sick I was wonderin' how your ankle's been?" he looked embarrassed to be even asking.

"It's still a little stiff," she answered honestly, "But a million times better than last week. I can put my full weight on it and move pretty easy now."

"I hate ta' even be askin' ya, but with Sasha out there's not too many people I trust to go with me, plus you know about meds so you'll know what ta' take with us," Daryl said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"I'm fine," Kerri said, trying to ease some of his nerves about asking her, "I'm actually excited to be able to get outta these walls. I'm goin' crazy sitting here all day, every day just sorting pills and band-aids in that office."

Daryl snorted at her lame attempt at a joke, "A'right then. I wanna try to head out in tha' next hour. Think ya can get your shit ready by then?"

Kerri nodded, "Yeah, definitely. Meet out by the cars?"

"Yeah," Daryl said, turning and leaving her cell.

Once he was gone Kerri practically jumped for joy. She was excited to finally be able to escape the confines of the prison for a little while, even if the circumstances were far from ideal. Plus, Daryl had said she was one of the few people he trusted to take on runs with him and for some reason that one statement had Kerri's stomach erupting in butterflies.

She paused, that was a new feeling. Butterflies and Daryl Dixon weren't two things that she associated with one another. Kerri shook her head; Daryl would probably never feel that way about anyone, let alone some newbie who had only been a part of their group for a little over a month. She might as well ditch those feelings now before she let them distract her and ruin any trust Daryl had put in her abilities.

Kerri moved on to pack her book-bag. She began stuffing it with an extra shirt, another pair of jeans, two pairs of socks, and her second knife. But while she was packing she suddenly was freezing, almost as if there was a draft in her room. The chills were so strong that Kerri's teeth began to chatter and she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to warm her body.

Searching through her pile of clean clothes that she had folded neatly on a shelf, Kerri pulled off a large gray hoodie. Pulling over her head she felt a moment of relief as the extra fabric warmed her arms and torso. With her body now cocooned in the sweatshirt, she finished pack her bag and moved outside to meet Daryl by the cars.

Daryl was underneath the hood of one of the black SUV checking its oil when Kerri walked outside. He straightened when he heard her footsteps approaching, but suddenly looked confused as she walked closer.

"Why tha' hell do ya have a sweatshirt on?" he asked, "It's prob'ly damn near ninety degrees out here."

"I was cold," Kerri answered simply, moving to put her bag in the front seat of the car.

"Hold up," Daryl said, stepping in front of her and blocking the path to the car, "Ya look like you're sweatin' an' you're pale as hell."

Kerri reached her hand up to touch her face. He was right, her forehead was dripping with sweat and yet she still felt chilled. Deep down she knew what was wrong, but her mind was choosing to deny the facts.

"I'm fine," she snapped, taking another step forward.

Daryl stepped at the same moment she did, continuing to block her way, "Ya ain't fine and ya know it."

"Daryl, I said I'm fine, now drop it," she hissed through her teeth, fighting to hold back a cough that had suddenly risen in her throat.

Daryl's brow furrowed and he took a step closer towards Kerri, raising his hand hesitantly to put it on her forehead. He made contact with the skin before she had a chance to jerk away from his touch.

"Dammit, Kerri! You're fuckin' burnin' up. You need ta' get your ass ta' A Block so Dr. S. can help ya," he said through gritted teeth.

Kerri's shoulders sank; there was no use in trying to fight him. She knew she was sick and she knew she had an extreme fever. There was no way she would be going on this run, she would be useless to them in her condition, not to mention she would infect everyone who rode in the car with them.

"C'mon, lemme get ya to Dr. S. so ya can lay down," Daryl whispered, noticing her change in demeanor. Kerri just nodded, letting him link his arm in hers and lead her back into the prison towards cell block A.

As they approached the quarantined area they noticed Glenn shuffling his way down the hall, nearly gripping the walls to keep himself standing.

"Shit Glenn, c'mere," Daryl said, wrapping Glenn's arm around his shoulder and carrying most of his weight the rest of the way down the hall.

When they finally reached the door to A Block, Daryl released Glenn's arm and unlinked himself from Kerri. With his hands free he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue bandana which he tied around his nose and mouth before opening the door to the block. He guided Glenn and Kerri inside before stepping back and closing the door. Kerri noticed something different in his eyes, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It was a look she had never, ever seen on Daryl's usually stoic and unreadable face.

Her train of thought was interrupted by Daryl closing the heavy metal door with a clang. And with that rough-sounding clang, Kerri's heart sank. It hadn't felt real until that noise reached her ears. She was sick, very sick; with an illness that was already claiming lives left and right. It was almost ironic in a way, that in a world full of walkers ready to take a bite out of her that a silly flu might actually be the thing to take her life.

 **A/N: Once again, thanks for reading! I just wanted to say, that after rewatching Season 4/Ep. 3 I noticed something and it's kinda a pet peeve...so they say that the illness that everyone has is some type of flu but then Hershel suggests going to the vet college for antibiotics. That doesn't make much sense to me because viruses (like the flu) cannot be cured with antibiotics. Antibiotics can only be used to treat bacterial infections. I'm sure most people wouldn't notice something small like that, but as someone who's about to graduate nursing school in the next couple months that statement stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Anyway, I left it the same in my story just because most people are more familiar with antibiotic medications than any other kind, and using antibiotics to cure the illness in upcoming chapters will go faster than just having all the characters wait it out like usually happens with viruses. Sorry for the little rant, I just didn't want anyone else to pick up on that and point out that Kerri should know better since she's a nurse :) Thanks for reading! And please review!**


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